https://www.knockshrine.ie/ Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

You’ll know when you’ve been on a pilgrimage flight aboard Ireland’s national airline carrier Prayer Lingus.

Because of the clatter of the rosary beads and chatter of the Angeluses.

And I heard it too for myself on my way out.

To Santiago de Compostella with Camino Ways for the Camino, Lourdes and Fatima.

And which was the backdrop for every car journey I took with my Donegal mammy from Glasgow back to God’s Own County.

It worked too as we surely had divine intervention to keep us safe with my Mum’s driving.

And how distracted she was as she passed by every town and pointed them out to me.

Knock on Heaven’s Door

Saint that a plane: With my Aer Lingus pals

All of which rubbing away at rosary beads and penitent pilgrims will be in rich supply.

On the back of Aer Lingus‘s new route from London Heathrow to Knock-Irl West.

Back in the day you could only get to Knock in Co. Mayo in the East of Ireland by road.

Unless, of course, you were Our Lady, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels and Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God.

Who, of course, had their own transport at hand.

Spending my summer holidays as I did with my Dublin cousins out in Galway

Days were also set aside to visit Knock which set me off on a lifelong interest in pilgrim sites.

Now as much as Ireland changed with the Celtic Tiger the ‘saints’ part of the moniker The Land of Saints and Scholars is still upheld.

Flights of angels

Not least at Aer Lingus who give every plane a saint’s name and christen it before it takes flight.

All of which will ensure you double protection.

The inaugural Aer Lingus flight EI916, operated by an Airbus A320, departed from Ireland West Airport at Knock for Heathrow at 1.05pm yesterday afternoon.

Welcoming the new route, Judith Cassidy of Tourism Ireland said: “This means that GB visitors can travel directly from London to Ireland’s dramatic Wild Atlantic Way coastline in less than two hours.

“Here they can experience and enjoy the rugged beauty of the west coast of Ireland.

“As seen in the Oscar nominated Banshees of Inisherin.”

And it’ll be well worth the €253.03 sample return fare we found on the website.

Particularly when you factor in the priceless blessings you’ll garner at Knock…

We don’t call them Prayer Lingus for nothing.

And I have good reason to honour Our Lady and honour Mary’s month of May.

Like much with the Catholic church the early leaders gleaned from existing culture.

And that meant transferring the worship of Artemis, the goddess of fertility, to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Mary, of course, is venerated for her matriarchy and May is the month when Spring is in its fullest bloom.

Now we all have much to be grateful for or reflect on after these past two years.

And what better way than visiting any one of her Marian sites?

Marian sites

Now growing up an Irish-Scot in Glasgow the focus was always on the most famous of them all Lourdes, and Knock in Ireland.

And little did I know that Mary has shrines from A-Z around the world.

We probably shouldn’t be surprised because as the old saying goes… when you want something done ask a busy woman.

And so I made the pilgrimage to Knock in the West of Ireland as a child, where Our Lady appeared with St Joseph and St John.

Lourdes above

I don’t know what the sell-by date is on prayers but 40 years later I was back for more favours this time, the mothership.

Lourdes is the Holywood of Marian sites.

And yes it has more candles than on a Meatloaf video (ask your parents).

But there is something ethereal about grasping a candle with a cardboard square holder so as the wind doesn’t blow it out.

At the vigil mass at the grotto.

While the huge candles with inscriptions carved out by small Italian and Irish villages reminds us that Lourdes was once just that.

Each Marian site clearly has Mary at its heart but each has its own USP.

Fatima faith

My own Dear Old Mum was moved by her own experiences in Guadeloupe in Mexico.

Where she recalled a worshipper climbing the steps of a church on her knees.

And I saw it too at Fatima, though the pilgrim was saved the incline as the altar is situated in a square.

Magic Medge

Medjugorje in Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Balkans holds ambitions to be endorsed by the Vatican as a Marian site.

Without getting too liturgical the Papacy accepts organised pilgrimages to Medge are OK by them.

Although it does fall short of their authentication of Marian sites. Very Jesuitical.

This year promises to be a special one with suggestions of a Big Reveal.

And pilgrims who crowd around the Blue Cross to hear Our Lady talk through one of the original visionaries are agog with expectancy.

Prayers from Brazil

Whether the Brazilian I broke bread with at breakfast who had made his way to Ilsa will be there to hear it who knows.

But as with all pilgrims he planted a seed for the next Marian traveller (me) to visit the next shrine, Aparecida.